Gourdon



Sept. 19, 1950 R. GOURDON VALUE INDEXING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 16, 1946 um Mm E WV m m o F BTLNN y \N A w I 1 NW Fw 1| m mwWW Q 0 w m m MN m mw N Q N QN Patented Sept. 19, 1950 VALUE INDEXINGMECHANISM Robert Gourdon, Paris, France, assignor to Centre (Mecanique,Balistique, Armement), Paris, France Application March 16, 1946, SerialNo. 654,835 In France January 27, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August8, 1946 Patent expires January 27, 1965 dEtudes M. B. A.

17 Claims. 1

This invention relates to accounting machines and more especially tomachines of this kind, in which computing or registering mechanisms areoperated by depressing the keys of a keyboard.

It is particularly concerned with improvements in the means fortransmitting movement from the keys to the computing or registeringmechanisms, with a View to reducing the first cost of such machines,while at the same time facilitating the assembling of the parts.

With these and other objects in view I will now describe my inventionwith reference to the draw ings allixed to this specification andforming part thereof, which illustrate diagrammatically, by way ofexample, one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations, partly in vertical section, of amachine embodying my invention, two keys and adjoining parts being shownin different positions in the two figures.

Fig. 3 is a partial top View of a pack of transmission bars.

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections of the key mechanism, takenrespectively along the lines IVIV, and V-V in Fig. 1.

As apparent in the drawings, operating mechanism according to myinvention includes a series of keys I, mounted on the upper ends of keyrods which may have, for instance, a cylindrical crosssection. Said keyrods are longitudinally slotted at 2 (see Fig. 4) so as to affordpassage for one arm of a rocking bell crank lever 3. This rocking leveris constituted by a suitably cut flat member, and one of its ends isreceived in the slot 2 of the key rod, while its other end, which is cutinto the shape of a fiat rotula, engages a correspondingly shaped notch4 in an arm 5 (see Figs. 1 and 2) fixed to a transmission bar 6.

All the key levers 3 of one row of keys are located in the same planeand are held laterally between two plates 1 and 8 (Figs. 4 and 5)provided with suitable recesses for the passage of the key rods as shownin Fig. 4. The bell crank levers 3 are apertured to receive balls 9 heldin place in recesses It between the plates 7 and 8. The balls 51 formpivots for the levers 3.

The key mechanism proper with its two securing plates l' and 8 ispreferably enclosed inside a casing constituted by the two cover platesI I and 12 made of sheet iron. These cover plates are provided withrecesses (Figs. 4 and 5) for the passage of key locking bars l3 and [4.

The assembly is secured by connecting screws [5 or any equivalent meanssuitably arranged so as not to hinder the movement of the movable.

2 parts. This arrangement prevents any disengagement of the parts whileensuring the freedom of play required for their movement.

The fiat transmission bars 5 are assembled to form packs of nine barsstanding on edge. Each bar carries on its forward end a flat, upwardlyextending arm 5 serving for suspending the bar from the bell crank lever3 of the key with which it is coordinated. While the fifth arm 5 of therow is straight, all other arms are offset at l6 so as to extend in thesame plane as the fifth arm, viz. in the plane of the bell crank levers3.

The rear end of each bar 6 is formed with a downwardly inclined cam faceat I! and rests freely on a stationary supporting cylinder 18 (see Figs.1 and 2). The rear end of the bar extends upwardly in the form of an arml9 acting as a stop for the differential actuating mechanism 20 whichneed not be described in the present specification as it does not formpart of this invention. A suitable form of such differential actuatingmechanism is shown and claimed in my copending application Serial No.654,836, which was filed in the U. S. Patent Oflice on March 16, 1946.The cylinder i8 is formed with lateral flanges 2| which hold the bars 6together with the play required for allowing the sliding of one bar withreference to the others without any jamming. It should be noted that theplay thus provided is sufiicient for the system of bars but that thereis no substantial play allowed for any individual bar.

The bars 6 are constantly urged towards their inoperative positions by aroller 22 which spans the pack of bars 6 and together with a pair ofarms 24 forms a composite bail. A spring 23 engages the ail ends of arms24 and biases the bail counter-clockwise, carrying the roller 22downward against the bars 5. The composite bail formed by arms 24 androller 22 retains the vertical extensions [9 parallel, allowing asuitable limited play. The spring 23 is double-ended, having its centerfixed to a support at 25 and hearing at its upper end against the arms24 while its lower end bears against the rear ends of the bars 5 andholds them in contact with the cylinder it thereby preventing a movingbar displaced by a depressed key from carrying an adjacent bar with it.

The sliding bars l3 and M are housed along the plates 7 and 8respectively inside suitable recesses provided in the cover plates IIand I2. The bar I4 is guided by lugs 25 cut out of the cover plate l2and folded inwardly as shown in Fig. 5. These companion bars [3 and Mensure on the one, hand, that when a key is depressed,

the other keys of the same row are locked, and, on the other hand, atthe end of the recording operation, they urge the keys back into theirinoperative positions.

To prevent any possibility of simultaneously depressing two adjacentkeys, each key lever is provided with an extension 44 (Figs. 1 and 2)cooperating with a stud 32 on the adjacent key. Considering the two keyscarrying the reference number I in Figs. 1 and 2, if the right hand keyis first depressed, the corresponding extension 44 will move under thestud 32 on the left hand key, which prevents the latter from beingdepressed. If on the contrary the left hand key begins being depressedbefore the right hand key, its stud 32 will move into the path of theextension M on the right hand key so as to prevent the rotation of thecorresponding lever 3 and consequently the depression of the right handkey. If both keys are simultaneously depressed, the operation is thesame as in the preceding case, as the extension 44 of the lever 25 ofone of them will meet the stud 32 on the other key.

It is easy to understand from the preceding description the operation ofthe key operated mechanism forming my invention.

When the key I is depressed, this causes a rocking movement of theassociated key lever 3 the lower end of which moves to the left,carrying with it the transmission bar 6 corresponding to the depressedkey. The right hand end of this bar rides up on the roller l8 and raisesthe stop member !9 which selects in the differential actuating mechanism26 the numeral corresponding to the depressed key.

The articulation of the thin flat transmission bars 6 of each pack ofthe lower ends of the bell crank levers 3 by the tongue and notchconnection at 4 renders unnecessary any separate articulation means.Likewise, the pivotal suspension of the bell crank levers 3 between thekey plates '1 and 8 by means of the balls housed in depressions of theseplates greatly reduces the cost and facilitates the assembly of thetransmission mechanism all parts of which, including the stop arm, canbe cut and shaped by stamping and punching.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details shown and described, for obvious modifications will occurto a person skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a calculating machinehaving keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like,

the combination with a row of keys, of a transmission operated therebyand adapted to control said mechanism comprising a plurality of thinfiat transmission members arranged in side by side relation beneath saidrow of keys, a housing for slidably supporting said row of keys and saidtransmission members, a plurality of pivotal levers mounted within saidhousing and each having one arm disposed in engageable relation with anassociated key and a second arm of each lever being operativelyconnected with respective transmission bars, each of said levers beingpivotally supported on a ball supported by opposite sides of saidhousing.

2. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like, the combination with a row of keys, of atransmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcomprising a plurality of flat bars arranged in side by side relationbeneath and suspended from said row of keys for longitudinal and pivotalmotion and each having an oiTset portion, said offset portions all lyingin coplanar relation paralleling the row of keys, a housing fOr slidablysupporting said keys, a plurality of levers each pivotally supportedwithin said housing adjacent a respective key and each having an armdisposed to engage with an associated key and a second arm pivotallysupporting the offset portion of respective transmission bars,

said levers being arranged in coplanar relation with each other and withsaid offset portions, a cam-shaped tail piece at one end of each bar,means engaged by each tail piece for elevating the same when the bar islongitudinally displaced, and a stop member carried by said tail pieceand adapted to cooperate with said mechanism.

3. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like, the combination with a row of keys, of a transmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcom-prising a plurality of flat bars arranged in side by side relationbeneath and suspended from said row of keys for longitudinal and pivotalmotion and each having an offset portion, said offset portions all lyingin coplanar relation paralleling the row of keys, a housing for slidablysupporting said keys, a plurality of levers each pivotally supportedwithin said housing adjacent a respective key and each having an armdisposed to engage with an associated key and a second arm pivotallysupporting the offset portion of respective transmission bars, saidlevers being arranged in coplanar relation with each other and with saidoffset portions, a cam-shaped tail piece at one end of each bar, meansengaged by each tail piece for elevating the same when the bar islongitudinally displaced, a stop member carried by said tail piece andadapted to cooperate with said mechanism, a pivotally mounted lever, aroller carried thereby and engageable with the tail piece of eachtransmission bar, and resilient means for urging said roller intocontact with the tail piece of said bars whereby to aid in'returning thetransmission bars to an unactuated position.

4. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like, the combination with a row of keys, of atransmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcomprising a plurality of flat bars arranged in side by side relationbeneath and suspended from said row of keys for longitudinal and pivotalmotion, and each having an offset portion, said offset portions alllying in coplanar relation paralleling the row of keys, a housing forslidably supporting said keys, a plurality of levers each pivotallysupported within said housing adjacent a respective key and each havingan arm disposed to engage with an associated key and a second armpivotally supporting the offset portion of respective transmission bars,said levers being arranged in coplanar relation with each other and withsaid offset portions, a cam-shaped tail piece at one end of each bar,means engaged by each tail piece for elevating the same when the bar islongitudinally displaced, a pivotally mounted lever, a roller carriedthereby and engageable with the tail piece of each transmission bar, anda leaf spring fixedly supported at a point intermediate the ends thereofand with its ends bearing respectively against said last mentioned leverand against the adjacent ends of the transmission bars.

5, In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like, the combination with a row of keys, ofatransmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcomprising a plurality of transmission members, a plurality of rockinglevers, each pivotally supported adjacent a respective key and having anarm engageable by its associated key and a second arm drivably connectedwith one of said transmission members, said keys including a studpositioned to be engaged by a projection on the rocking lever associatedwith an adjacent key whereby when a rocking lever is rotated due to thedepression of its associated key it will engage said stud of an adjacentkey to prevent a substantially simultaneous depression of both.

6. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanism and the like, key rods attached to said keys for movementthereby, means for supporting said key rods and keys including twoopposed parallel plates having facing recesses for receiving said keyrods, means for holding said plates together so as to retain the keyrods between them, and means operatively connecting each key rod to saidregistering mechanism.

7. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 6, in which said plates areprovided with additional recesses adjacent the recesses for receivingthe key rods, and including bell crank levers pivotally mounted in saidadditional recesses, each key rod being operatively connected to one armof the adjacent bell crank lever, said bell crank levers forming aportion of the means operatively connecting the key rods to theregistering mechanism.

8. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 7, in which each of saidbell crank levers has a downwardly depending arm moving between saidplates, and in which said operative connecting means includes, for eachbell crank lever, an upwardly projecting arm extending between saidplates and connected to the downwardly depending arm of the bell cranklever by a flat rotula connection, said rotula connection lying betweensaid plates in all positions of the bell crank lever.

9. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanisms and the like, the combination with a row of keys, of atransmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcomprising a plurality of flat bars arranged in side by side relationbeneath said row of keys, means supporting said bars so as to permitlongitudinal and pivotal movement of said said supporting meansincluding a pivotal support for each bar operatively connected to onekey for moving the bar longitudinally by operation of the key and acommon support underlying all the bars and spaced from said pivotalsupports, a downwardly extending cam portion on each bar adjacent saidcommon support, said support being engaged by the cam portion when thebar is moved longitudinally by the key so as to elevate said camportion, and means operatively connecting said registering mechanism toa portion of the bar elevated concurrently with said cam portion.

10. A calculating machine as claimed in claim in which said pivotalsupport for each bar includes a lever pivoted on a fixed support andhaving an arm pivotally connected to the bar, and in which said commonsupport is a cylinder.

11. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 10, in which said cylinderis provided with flanges (ill at its ends for retaining all the bars inparallel relationship.

12. A calculating machine asclaimed in claim 9, including a return leverto be operated upon elevation of any of said bars, said return leverbeing pivoted on a fixed support and havingan arm in the form of acomposite bail overlying said bars, the sides of said bail beingeffective to retain said bars in close parallel relation, and springmeans acting on said return lever to bias said bars toward their idlepositions.

. 13. The machine of claim 9, in which a doublewalled support isprovided for each rowof keys, and said pivotal supports comprise bellcrank levers controlled by the keys and pivoted on said double-walledsupport, an upwardly directed arm on the forward end of each bar, acircular notch in the top end of each arm and a circular disk at the endof each lever fitting into said notch and held therein by the supportingwalls.

14. The machine of claim 9, in which a doublewalled support is providedfor each row of keys, and said pivotal supports comprise bell cranklevers supporting the bars and pivoted on said double-walled support bymeans of balls housed in recesses of said walls.

15. The machine of claim 9, in which a single spring engages all thebars above said cam portions so as to bias all the cam portionsintoengagement with said common support.

16. In a calculating machine having keys for controlling registeringmechanism and the like, the combination with a row of keys, of atransmission operated thereby and adapted to control said mechanismcomprising a plurality of flat bars arranged on edge in closely parallelrelation beneath said row of keys and having upstanding arm portions,certain of said arm portions being oiTset so that all of said armportions lie in coplanar relation parallel to the row of keys, a housingfor slidably supporting said keys, means supporting said bars forlongitudinal and angular motion including a plurality of levers eachpivotally supported within said housing adjacent a respective key andeach having an arm disposed to engage an associated key and a second armpivotally supporting the arm portion of a respective transmission bar,said levers being arranged in coplanar relation with each other and withsaid arm portions, and means operatively connecting the bars with saidregistering mechanism.

17. In a key-board operated accounting machine in combination, a machineframe, a plurality of computing mechanism units supported by said frame,a row of keys for each unit, a pack of flat, closely assembledtransmission bars for each row of keys, means supporting said pack ofbars on edge underneath its associated row of keys so as to permitlongitudinal and pivotal movement of said bars, said supporting meansincluding an operative connection between each individual bar and onekey for moving the bar longitudinally by key action and a common supportunderneath all the bars of a pack, a downwardly inclined cam face and anupwardly directed stop arm at the end of each bar, whereby a pullexerted on a bar by its coordinated key causes the cam face to movealong the support so as to cause a pivotal rising movement of the barand o erative contact of said stop arm with the coordinated computingmechanism unit.

ROBERT GOURDON.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 22,377 7 09,362 1,002,341 1,239,6221,270,243 1,742,524 1,983,945

Name Date Potts Sept. 14, 1943 Schuman Sept. 16, 1902 Vincent Sept. 5,1911 Rauchwetter Sept. 11, 1917 Stickney June 18, 1918 Gubelmann Jan. 7,1930 Petter Dec. 11, 1934 Number 10 Number Name Date Racz July '27, 1937Turck et a1 Dec. 10,1940 Gubelman Dec.. 31, 1940 Muller Jan. 16, 1945Gubelmann May 22, 1945 Carlsen June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country DateGermany Nov. 18, 1921 Germany Oct. 10, 1927 Germany July 23,1929

